Economic Assessment of the Viability of Advanced Ultra-Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Plants
Presently, existing coal-fired power plants operate at maximum steam temperatures of approximately
550C. To achieve higher efficiencies, the operating temperatures and pressures must be significantly
increased, which requires the use of highly alloys materials (i.e. nickel-base superalloys) in the hot and
corrosive sections of the A-USC plant. The objective is to determine if it is economically and
technically feasible to build an A-USC coal-fired power plant compared to the existing sub-
critical/super-critical installations.
27-401: Material Science Capstone Course
Economic Assessment of the Viability of Advanced Ultra-Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Plants
Presently, existing coal-fired power plants operate at maximum steam temperatures of approximately
550C. To achieve higher efficiencies, the operating temperatures and pressures must be significantly
increased, which requires the use of highly alloys materials (i.e. nickel-base superalloys) in the hot and
corrosive sections of the A-USC plant. The objective is to determine if it is economically and
technically feasible to build an A-USC coal-fired power plant compared to the existing sub-
critical/super-critical installations.